ascher



I.. K. ASCHER. THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED RADIATOR VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. II. |918.

Patented July 8, 1919.

LOUIS K. ASCHER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

THERMOSTATICALLY-CONTROLLED RADIATOR-VALVE.

Application led April 11, 1918.

To all whom I? may concern:

Be it known that l, LOUIS K; ASCHER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at.

Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and 'useful Thermostatically-Controlled Radiator-Valve, of which the following is a specication.

It is the object of my invention to provide a thermostatically controlled radiator valve, which will act on the valve with a hammer blow so as to insure the valve movement, which may be applied to existing heating systems with small expense and withoutrequiring any change in the system other than in the radiator valves, which may even be applied to existing radiator valves without requiring an entire new valve,"which may be applied to any'radiator of a system without requiring that other radiators be similarly equipped, and which may be adjusted about the axis of the valve stem to dierent positions with respect to the radiator.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention. Figure 1 is a front elevation of a radiator valve equipped with my invention, showing the valve itself in section, and showing the electrical connections diagrammatically; Fig. 2 is an end elevation lof the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The valve body 10 may be of any usual type, ordinarily having at the bottom a screw threaded opening 11 for connection to the steam supply pipe and at the side a screw threaded extension 12 for suitable connection to the radiator. This valve body has a lower seat 13 for cooperation with the lower face of the valve disk 14 when the latter is lowered (or the valve is closed). The valve disk 14 is fixed on the lower end of the valve stem 15; and this valve -stem is mounted in a valvecap 16 which has the usual screw threaded engagement with'the valve body 10. The valve cap 16 may be made to it any standard valve body, and

carries the remainder of the apparatus. The valve stem 15 has a vertically sliding` movenient in the valve cap 16, and the latter is provided at its lower end with a valve seat 17 which coperates with the upper face of the valve disk 14 when.the latter is raised (or the valve is opened), thus shutting off from the packing 18 around the upper end Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July s, 1919.

Serial No. 227387.

of the stem 15 the steam pressure which is supplied through the steam supply pipe.

The upper end of the valve cap 16 has an upward threaded boss 20, through which the valve stem 15 passes axially, and clamped on this boss 20 by a lock nut 21 is a supporting frame 22 of the valve-operating mechanism. This frame 22 has a central pivot post 23 which is bifurcated at its upper end to receive between its prongs a valve lever 24 mounted on a pivot pin 25 and projecting on both sides of such pivot pin. At one end, which is circular, this valve lever 24 fits in a transverse slot 26 passing through the valve stem 15 near its upper end, so that by tilting the valve lever 24 the valve disk 14 may be moved to engage either the valve seat 13 or the valve seat 17. l The valve lever 24 has fixed thereto a switch arm 27 which in the two extreme positions of the valve lever 24 engages two contacts 28 and 29 respectively, preferably coming into engagement with one of such contacts before it passes out of engagement with the other as the valve lever 24 passes through its middle position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. The contacts 28 and 29 are mounted on but insulated from one of the side arms of the frame 22. There are two such side arms, o'n opposite sides of the pivot post 23, and mounted on the upper ends of these two side arms are two solenoids 30 and 31 respectively. One terminal of each of these solenoids is connected to one ofthe switch contacts 28 and 29,-. and the other to one of two thermostat contacts 32 and 33, located on opposite sides of'a thermostat tongue 34, conveniently of the usual two-metal type. This thermostat tongue is connected to one side of a battery 35, the other side of which is grounded; and as the switch arm 27 is grounded on the valve lever 24 and frame 22, a circuit may be completed from the battery 35 and thermostat tongue 34 either through` the contact 32, the solenoid 30, and the switch contact 28, or through the contact 33, the solenoid 31, and the switch contact 29, to the switch arm 27 and through the ground back to the battery. Each lof these circuits depends both on the position of the thermostat tongue 34 and of the switch arm 27.

A. weight lever 40 is also pivoted on the pivot pin 25, preferably being bifurcated at its lower end so as toproject on the outer sides of the bifurcated upper end of the pivot post 23, as apparent from Figs. 2 and 3. At its upper end, this weight lever 40 carries an adjustable weight 41. Associated with this weight lever 40 are two solenoid cores 42 and 43 for the two solenoids 30 and 31 respectively, these two cores being connected at their adjacent ends by a screw 4-1 passing through a slot in the weight lever 40. VThus each solenoid when it is energized draws in its associated core, drawing out the core of the other solenoid and tiltin the weight lever 40 toward the solenoid which is energized. The Weight lever 40 and the solenoid cores are shown in full lines in their middle position, which is always a merely transitory position; and are shown in dotted lines in the position to which they may be drawn by the energization of the solenoid 31. The weight lever 40 is connected directly with the valve lever 24, and has a limited movep ment independently of such valve lever; but

at its lower end is provided with two hammer fingers 46 and 47 which upon a movement'of the weight lever 40 by the solenoids 30 and 31 strike the valve lever 24 on the riglht and left sides of its pivotal point with a animer blow and move such valve lever and the valve stem 15 and valve disk 14 to open and closed position, respectively. Thus there is a limited relative movement between the weight lever 40 and the valve lever 24, so that the weight lever starts into movement and acquires considerable momentum before the hammer finger 46 or 47 strikes the valve lever 24. In consequence, a considerable hammer blow is struck on the valve lever 24, and this is very effective m starting the valve disk 14 from its seat 13 or 17, for frequently there is a decided tendency for the valve seat. The movement of the valve lever 24 carries with it the switch lever 27, moving such switch lever from one switch contact to the other and thereby breaking the circuit for the solenoid which produces such movement and making it possible to complete the circuit of the other solenoid.

The operation is as follows:

Assume that the solenoid 31 has last been operated, and that the weight lever 40, valve lever 24, and switch lever 27 have been moved to lthe position in Fig. 1, and thereby the valve has been closed by bringing the valve disk 14 into engagement with the valve seat 13. This has shut oli the steam from the associated radiator, and the circuit .of the solenoid 31 has been vbroken by the disengagement of the switch lever 27 from the switch contact 29.

On account of the shutting oil*l of the steam,

the temperature of the room may begin to fall. As this occurs, thethermostat tongue 34 moves toward. the contact 32; and endisk to stick to itsl shown in dotted lines gages such contact when the minimum temperature of the roomis reached. Upon such engagement, the circuit of the solenoid 30 is completed, and in consequence the solenoid 30 draws in its core 42. This starts the weight lever 40 from the position shown in dotted lines toward the right, but during the initial part of such movement does not affect the valve itself. As the weight lever 40 is thus moved, the hammer linger 47 separates from the valve lever 24; and after the weight lever 40 has made a considerable start and has gained considerable lnomentum the hammer nger 46 strikes the valve lever 24 with a hammer blow and moves such valve lever in a clockwise direction from the position shown in dotted lines.' As the weight lever 40 continues to move after this, it carries with it the valve lever 24 and switch lever 27, and moves the valve disk 14 from its closed to its open position-or from its seat 13 to its seat 17-thus admitting steam to the associated radiator. the -switch lever 27 is carried through its middle position, it rst passes into engagement with-the contact 29 and then out of engagement with the contact 28; and the disengagement from the contact 28 breaks the circuit of the solenoid 30 by the energization of which the movement has been caused. However, the movement which was started by the energization of the solenoid 30 does not cease immediately upon the denergization of such solenoid, but continues by reason of the momentum of the parts and because the weight lever 40 has .passed to the right of -its neutral (or full lme) position, so that the weight of such lever tends to complete the movement which has been started. After the valve disk 14 has reached its fully open position, it is held by the action of'gravity on' the weight 41, so that it will notbe jarred out of such position.

The admission of steam to the radiator may cause the roomto become suiliciently warm so that the thermostat tongue 34 is moved into engagement with the contact 33. This causes energization 0f the solenoid 31, and the closing of the radiator valve, by a set of movements which is the reverse described above; the weight lever 40 moving first by itself until it acquires considerable momentum, the hammer linger 47 then striking the valve lever 24 with a hammer blow and moving such valve lever, switch lever 27, and the valve disk 14to the position shown in dotted lines, with the valve disk 14 in en` gagement with the valve seat 13. The action of gravity on the weight 41 also tends to hold the valve in this closed sitlon.

In both the opening and c osing movements of the valve the circuit of the actuating solenoid is broken before the termlnation of the movement which it has produced, and

of that the movement is completed by the momentum of the parts and the action of gravity on the weight 41. Thus current is required forv only a fraction of a second at each operation.

By reason of the hammer blow which is struck on the valve lever 24, the valve is prevented from sticking to either seat, and the effectiveness of lthe operating mechanism in moving the valve is greatly increased.

In installing the device, no change need be made in the heating system, and even the valve body 10 may be the valve body already in place. The valve cap 16 is merely screwed on to the existing valve body. The i frame 22 may be turned about the axis of the valve stem to any desired position, by loosening the lock nut 2l, so as to permit the solenoids 30 and 31 to be placed as spatial con-` ditions permit.

I claim as my invention:

l. In combination, a radiator valve having a sliding valve stem, a valve disk mounted on said valve stem, and two seats which said valve disk engages when the valve is respectively closed and open, thereby keeping the steam pressure away from around the valve stem; in combination with electromagnetically Operated mechanism for sliding said valve stem to move said valve disk between said seats, and a tilting weight connected to said electro-magnetically operated mechanism so as to be moved thereby when the valve stem is moved, said tilting weight being arranged so that it tends to hold the valve disk in engagement with each seat when it engages that seat.

E2. In combination, a -radiator valve having a member movable into closed and open positions, an electro-magnetically operated member for moving said movable valve member from closed to open position and vice versa, two separately energizable electro-magnets for operating said electro-magnetically operated member in opposite directions, said electro-magnetically operated member and said movable valve member being interconnected with lost motion inthe connection so that said electro-magnetically operated member is started into movement before acting on the movable valve member and then acts upon the movable valve member with a hammer blow to start it from its seat, and yielding means which tends to hold said movable valve member in either position in which it happens to be.

3. In combination, a radiator vvalve having a member movable into closed and open positions, an electro-magnetically operated member for moving said movable valve member from closed to open position and vice versa, two separately -energizable electro-magnets for operating said electro-magne-*ically operated member in opposite directions, said electro-magnetically operated member and said movable valve member being interconnected with lost motion inthe connection so that said electro-magnetically operated member is started into movement before acting on the movable valve member and then acts upon the movable valve member with a hammer blow to start it from its seat, an electro-magnet for operating said electro-magnetically operated member, yielding means which tends to hold said movable valve member in either position in which it happens to be, and a switch in the circuit of said electro -magnet, said switch being opened by the operation of said movable valve member.

4. In combination, a radiator valve having a sliding valve member movable into closed and open positions, an electro-magnetically operated memberfor moving said sliding valve member from closed to open position and vice versa, said electro-magnetically operated member and said sliding valve member being interconnected with lost motionin the connection so that said electromagnetically operated member is started into movement before acting on the sliding valve member and then acts upon the sliding valve member with a hammer blow to start it from either eXtreme position, two magnets acting oppositely on said electro-magnetically operated member to move it to. open and close the valve. respectively, and a tilting weight associated with said electro-magnetically operated member and tending to hold it and through it to hold the sliding valve member in either extreme position.

5. In combination, a radiator valve having a sliding valve member movable into closedand open positions, an electro-magnetically operated member for moving said sliding valve member from closed to open position and vice versa, said electro-magnetically operated member and said Sliding valve member being interconnected with lost motion in the connection so that said electromagnetically operated member is startedl into movement before acting on the sliding valve member and then acts upon the. sliding valve member with a hammer blow to start it from either extreme position, two magnets acting oppositely on said electromagnetically operated member to move it to open and close the valve respectively, a tilting weight associated with said electromagnetically operated member and tending to hold it and through it to hold the sliding valve member in either extreme position, and switching mechanism controlling the circuits of both electro-magnets and operable by the movement of said sliding valve member in either direction to open the circuit of the electro-magnet which produced such movement.

6. In combination, a radiatorv valve hav- -ing areciprocable member movable to-open and closed positions, a valve lever associated with said movable valve member to move it to either position, a weight lever pivoted below its center of gravity and movable to bring its center of gravity to opposite sides of the vertical line through its pivot point, said weight lever being provided with hammer fingers for engaging said valve lever after a part of the movement of said weight lever from either extreme position toward the other and thereby striln'ng a hammer blow upon such valve lever to start the movable valve member, and power operating mea-.ns for moving said weight lever from either extreme position to a point on the other side of said vertical line.

7. In combination, a radiator valve having a reciprocable member movable to open and closed positions, a valve lever associated with said movable valve member' to move it to either position, a weight lever pivoted below its center of gravity and movable to bring its centerV of gravity to opposite sides of the vertical line through its pivot point, said weight lever being provided with hammer fingers for engaging said valve lever after a part of the movement of said weight lever from either eXtreme position toward the other and thereby striking a hammer Leos, `.s

blowupon such valve lever to start the movable valve member, and two electro-magnets rfor moving said weight lever from its respective extreme positions.

8. In combination, a radiator valve having a reciprocable member movable to open and closed positions, a valve lever associated with said movable valve member to move it to either position, a weight lever pivoted below its center of gravity and movable to bring its center of gravity to opposite sides of the vertical line through its pivot point, said weight lever being provided with hammer lingers for engaging said valve lever after a part of the movementof said weight lever from either extreme position toward the other and thereby striking a hammer blow upon such valve lever to start the movable valve member, two electro-magnets for moving said weight lever from its respective extreme positions, and switching means operated by said valve lever upon a movement thereof for breaking the circuit of the magnet which produced such movement.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this ninth day of April, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and eighteen.

LOUIS K. ASCHER. 

